The "live as it happens" Budget comment thread....

frman

Cannibal Ox wrote: »

I don't get the dole changes, why is it only 20-21 on 100€? What about 18-19? Are they still getting full dole?

That was already cut in the last budget.

menoscemo

Warper wrote: »

Should have cut a couple of quid off the dole

Social welfare cuts of about 4% across the board on top of the cuts on under 24's/people who refuse jobs. This means effectively that the dole is down by just over €8 per week.

kadafi006

Little Acorn wrote: »

What age are you?
18-21- 100 euro per week
22-24 (new applicant)-150 euro per week
25 or over-204 euro per week. This will be cut to 150 per week if you refuse a job offer.

Thats wrong i think^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

New maximum personal rates of Jobseeker’s Allowance and basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance will be introduced for new applicants aged 20 to 24 inclusive. The new rate will be €100 per week for new applicants aged 20 to 21 and €150 per week for new applicants aged 22 to 24. The Qualified Adult rate applicable to Jobseeker’s Allowance/basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance applicants aged 20 and 21 will also be €100 per week and for those applicants aged 22, 23 and 24 will be €130.10 per week. These rate reductions will not apply to claimants with dependant children.





Only new applicants are affected i think.

Dickerty

jos28 wrote: »

5% reduction would have brought the higher rate to 16.5% and in line with UK rates

What has being in line with the UK got that much to do with it? Apart from shopping across the border (which would grind to a halt it GBP came back into 80p), what does it matter?

Decreasing by 5% would reduce the tax intake from consumer spending. No guarantee that this would be made up by increased spending. They are hoping that spending increases will occur as the economy picks up in general. And how do you increase it again in a year or two?

ssaye

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1209/budget2010_main.html updating per minute

50c charge for every medical card prescription from April

dustyrip

Maybe I am a bit slow here.

On Jobseekers allowance a few months now getting 204. Am 23, so this will be reduced to 150, or will I be getting the 4% reduction?

TouchingVirus

Rb wrote: »

Did he not say down to €100 for them if they've no dependents?

Not in the Budget report

SOCIAL WELFARE
People of Working Age
The maximum personal rate for all weekly schemes (other than personal rates applicable to those aged 66 and over) will generally decrease by amounts varying between €8.20 and €8.50 per week from the first week in January 2010 and proportionate decreases will apply in respect of people on reduced rates of payment.

Associated maximum Qualified Adult Allowances (QAAs) will generally decrease by €5.50 per week from the first week in January 2010 and proportionate decreases will apply in respect of people on reduced rates of payment.

There will also be a decrease of €10 per week in the maximum rate and a decrease of €4.50 per week in the minimum rate of Maternity Benefit and Adoptive Benefit from the first week of January 2010.

Activation Measures
There are a number of changes to the Jobseeker’s Allowance and Supplementary Welfare Allowance schemes as set out below:

* New maximum personal rates of Jobseeker’s Allowance and basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance will be introduced for new applicants aged 20 to 24 inclusive. The new rate will be €100 per week for new applicants aged 20 to 21 and €150 per week for new applicants aged 22 to 24. The Qualified Adult rate applicable to Jobseeker’s Allowance/basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance applicants aged 20 and 21 will also be €100 per week and for those applicants aged 22, 23 and 24 will be €130.10 per week. These rate reductions will not apply to claimants with dependant children.

* The personal rate of Jobseeker’s Allowance and basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance will be reduced to €150 per week where job offers or activation measures have been refused. Further details of this measure will be published in the Social Welfare Bill, 2010.

LookingFor

Buceph wrote: »

I know some people who don't have the option of living at home. And I always thought you couldn't get the dole while living in the parental home anyway.

No, you def can. One of the types is means tested so if you were living at home you'd get less (but not nothing), but the other has no means testing.

As for folks who can't live at home - I would definitely sympathise there (as long as it ain't something stupid like pride keeping them from going back). But generally speaking I don't think it's a massive assumption for them to make that the vast majority have people (family) to fall back on at that age. That's definitely the going assumption that people will support their young 'uns particularly during times like this. I know loads of people even older than that who're even still employed who've moved back home for the time being. My sis is seriously considering it and she's 28, a CO - but scarcely scraping by to have a decent standard of living outside the family home.

If there's no such 'base' to fall back on, for someone in that situation I'd say they need to obviously 'downsize', move into a sharing situation with more people to cut costs etc. They'd get other help too from rent allowance etc. presumably.

chopperbyrne

The VAT cut is ludicrous.

A year ago we all said that it need to be cut by a few percent in order to discourage cross border shopping. Instead, they raised it by half a percent and now a year later they're complaining about cross border shopping, but still only cutting VAT by half a percent.

We will be the last country in Europe to get out of recession without a doubt.

Sorry

Little Acorn wrote: »

What age are you?
18-21- 100 euro per week
22-24 (new applicant)-150 euro per week
25 or over-204 euro per week. This will be cut to 150 per week if you refuse a job offer.

Hi thanks for answering, I'm 23.

But I don't understand if I'm what they call a new applicant.. I applied in Sep but I'm still waiting for the first payment.. In the meantime I'm on SWA. The dole guy said it could take months.. So I'm hoping that I won't be classed as 'new.'

dvpower

Another let off for old people. No cut at all to pensions.

nkay1985

holmyster wrote: »

has anyone any idea how much the fuel has gone up by?

Just a quick look online seems to indicate that €15 per tonne carbon tax equates to 3.75 cents per litre of unleaded petrol.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_tax

Alicat

efb wrote: »

Lads I'm 29 living at home and working. Suck it up and move home.

Sorry I find this argument totally ridiculous. Aren't you lucky that your parents can afford to take you in? Aren't you lucky that your parents WANT to take you back in? Aren't you lucky they have enough room in their house to take you back in? Aren't you lucky your parents are still alive to do this??

A lot of people are not in the position to do this and I find it grossly unfair that you should pretend it's that simple.

Sharlovesjohn

Buceph wrote: »

Excuse my ignorance of the welfare system, I've been in unversity and living with my parents for the past few years. But how does someone on €150 a week pay the bills, pay rent, pay for food etc? To me that seems awfully ****ing tight, let alone trying to pay all that on €100pw.

if your claiming dole you can apply for rent allowance, fuel allowance etc

Im 21 working full time been in college for 5 years already and if i lost my job i would turn my nose up at certain jobs because its not what i studied? and i certainly would move back home even tho theres already 6 kids living there with my parents all younger then me id rather try n save then struggle to afford rent & bills and even if i did there social housing etc aswell

TouchingVirus

dustyrip wrote: »

Maybe I am a bit slow here.

On Jobseekers allowance a few months now getting 204. Am 23, so this will be reduced to 150, or will I be getting the 4% reduction?

Christ, I've explained it before plenty of times.

Everybody will get the 4.1% reduction.

If you are on Job Seekers Benefit that is the end of your cut.

If you are not a new applicant, and have a not refused a job offer, that is the end of your cut.

If you are not a new applicant, and have refused a job offer, you will be reduced to €150.

If you are a new applicant with no dependants and are between 20-21 then you'll get €100.

If you are a new applicant, with no dependants and are between 22-24 then you will get €150.

---

It isn't very clear what is a "new applicant". Is it somebody who hasn't put in their form yet? Is it somebody who is not in payment yet? I don't know...

Flaccus

http://www.welfare.ie/syndicatedcontent/en/irish-social-welfare-system/means-test-for-social-welfare-payments/how_parents_income_can_affect_jobseekers_allowance/

Only if you are 24 years of age or under your parents income is taken into account for jobseekers allowance

efb

Pensioners will face the 50c medical card perscription fee

segaBOY

poindexter wrote: »

could you help with someone who's on 46k please

Certainly.

First €30k @ 5% = €1,500
€30k-46k @ 7.5% = €750

Cut of €2,700


Hope this doesn't hurt your situation too much.

CityCentreMan

Does the cut in Ministerial Level pay include the 10% cut announced earlier this year or is it additional to it?

If it includes the earlier reduction then they should be ashamed of themselves.

Grievous

Thank God for that.

No offense to anyone who is under 25.

I am on the benefits since I was made redundent in my job in feb.

4% of 204 euro. I'll lose about 8 quid?

I would love a job. I don't see the logic of doing a job that will pay me less than what my welware is though.

fi314

Rb wrote: »

Tough, basically. Social welfare is there to support you with your necessities until you can support yourself, if you're offered employment and the opportunity to support yourself and no longer bear burden on the state and refuse it, you deserve to be punished for it. Simple as really.

Just because you trained as an architect, doesn't mean you can sit on the dole until a job in architecture comes up. It's completely illogical and most of these so called trained professionals are going to have an extremely tough time getting jobs in these fields that they believe they deserve anywhere else.

No I am afraid it is not that simple, where I can see your point of view of people sitting about doing nothing. There is still an undoubtable waste of education funds. It discourages education "why go to college when I am still going to end up working a min wage job in a cafe?"

What was being recommended prior to budget was the establishment of a graduate programme where by government places qualified individuals in relevant posts not infringing their social welfare payments. This would be a great stimulus.......

Mad_Max

TBH I'm not looking forward to going back to the hospital and looking the nurses in the eyes (might be looking elsewhere :P - sorry had to say it) when they've had at least a 5% cut and I haven't lost a penny from this budget.

22 year old single lad with a very decent salary - imo we're a group that can pay a bit more.

Rb

Alicat wrote: »

Sorry I find this argument totally ridiculous. Aren't you lucky that your parents can afford to take you in? Aren't you lucky that your parents WANT to take you back in? Aren't you lucky they have enough room in their house to take you back in? Aren't you lucky your parents are still alive to do this??

A lot of people are not in the position to do this and I find it grossly unfair that you should pretend it's that simple.

Indeed, some people. How much of the total young & single unemployed would these people represent though? Not very much, I would expect, in fact I'd imagine most just don't want to move back in with their parents.

ssaye

Which sector of society will be first to "storm the Dail" I suggest the OAPs who will have to pay 50c per prescription from April 2010, all people who have medical cards whatever age will also have to pay this 50c.

Jamie-b

This new applicant thing is rubbish. The new applicants are the ones who presumably have been working until now and not claiming benefits, and if they lose their job now they are worse off than someone unemployed all year! Crazy

Rb

fi314 wrote: »

No I am afraid it is not that simple, where I can see your point of view of people sitting about doing nothing. There is still an undoubtable waste of education funds. It discourages education "why go to college when I am still going to end up working a min wage job in a cafe?"

What was being recommended prior to budget was the establishment of a graduate programme where by government places qualified individuals in relevant posts not infringing their social welfare payments. This would be a great stimulus.......

The point still stands though. There is no programme, we have a social welfare system set up to help those who need it for their necessities, not those who want to live the easy life until a job that suits them comes along.

LookingFor

dvpower wrote: »

Another let off for old people. No cut at all to pensions.

FFS, they put up with a lot of crap in their time. 70% tax rates, anyone?

They've indeed paid their due. It was right to leave them as is.

newman10

Has anyone information on Domicilary Care Allowance which is paid to Parents of Children with Disabilities

dvpower

TouchingVirus wrote: »

Christ, I've explained it before plenty of times.

Everybody will get the 4.1% reduction.

If you are on Job Seekers Benefit that is the end of your cut.

If you are not a new applicant, and have a not refused a job offer, that is the end of your cut.

If you are a new applicant with no dependants and are between 20-21 then you'll get €100.

If you are a new applicant, with no dependants and are between 22-24 then you will get €150

This will lead to tough choices for some young people.
Take a 20 year old currently on €204. Say he has a chance of a job, but it doesn't look too stable. Should he take it? If he does and later loses it, he will be put down to €100. If he doesn't take it (and doesn't inform SW of this fact), he will be remain on €204 (before reduction)

Kevin11

First €30k @ 5% = €1,500
€30k-40k @ 7.5% = €750
€40k - 46k @ 10% = €600

Cut of €2,850

New gross = €43,150

Wrong I think. Its the Next 40k not 30-40k
0-30k is 5%
30,001-70 is 7.5%